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Arabian Nights

Sparkling Holika Holika 1997

7.0 / 10 120 Ratings

A perfume by Holika Holika for women and men, released in 1997. The scent is woody-resinous. The longevity is above-average. The production was apparently discontinued.
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Main accords

Woody

Resinous

Oriental

Spicy

Smoky

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Saffron

Heart Notes

Oud

Copaiba balsam

Vaporized Hinge

Base Notes

Cypriol

Gaiac wood

Labdanum

Amber

Hexagonal Vinyl

Perfumer

Calice Becker

Ratings

Scent

7.0120 Ratings

Longevity

8.392 Ratings

Sillage

6.978 Ratings

Bottle

8.590 Ratings

Value for money

5.813 Ratings

Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 07/31/2025.

Interesting Facts

The fragrance was part of the collection Arabian Nights.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Gao

Oud Cashmere Mood

Oud Velvet Mood

Nuvolari

'Ilm

Armani Privé - Oud Royal

Reviews

12 in-depth fragrance descriptions

12/26/2012

7Scent 5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Drseid
822 Reviews

Drseid

1

Real Oud, But Not Real Wearable...

A relatively positive recommendation on Pure Oud from me. It has a rubbery, slightly medicinal Gaiac heart mixed with real Oud that I find intriguing and is keeping me interested in smelling it throughout its development. Amber, and maybe a hint of musk join the Oud to form the base of the scent. I have to give By Kilian some points for using real oud in its composition, and keeping to the scent's name in spirit. Projection is above average here, but longevity is only average. This is not the easiest scent to wear, but still nice on the whole. I would say 3.5/5.

If this more straight Presentation of oud scent is too much for you, then the other By Kilian Arabian Nights oud scents may be more appealing to you... Rose Oud for a Rose dominant oud, and Incense Oud for a reference incense scent that may not contain much or even any real oud, but smells incredible nonetheless.

07/31/2025

ClaireV
969 Reviews

ClaireV

1

Not Pure Oud but captures some of the dark, smooth beauty of aged, woodier oud oils

Pure Oud is the racehorse of the Western oud-based fragrances; all sinew and nerve, and not an inch of fat to spare. Kilian could have easily named this Oud Noir or Dark Oud, because Pure Oud really does convey the inky, matte darkness of a moonless night sky. It smells like a black leather jacket tinctured into a pool of black tar and then vaporized into a mist of gasoline.

Pure Oud draws a line around itself and stays within it. Real oud oil has a smell that spills messily out over every line you've drawn for yourself; the brazenly-named Pure Oud (it is purely synthetic) is self-contained. But they do share a common denominator - both smell other-worldly and somewhat stark. For me, it is the Western-based oud fragrance that comes closest to mimicking the smell of real oud oil. Not a sour, fermented-smelling Hindi or Assam oud oil, but one of those aged, dry oud oils where you can pick out hints of leather, dried fruit, melting plastic lunch boxes, and smoke.

Caveat: Pure Oud is a minimalist take on a maximalist smell, i.e., it does not approach the complexity or range of aromas of real oud oil. Nothing this obviously synthetic can come close to copying something so rudely natural. But the experience of using oud oils and attars is not interchangeable with or comparable to using traditional fragrance; one is a quiet, more private experience geared toward internal contemplation; the other is a projection of oneself to the wider world. We shouldn't keep holding up one against the other in a race for authenticity. Prefer instead that benchmark of Guy Robert's: Does it smell good? And yes, Pure Oud does smell good very good indeed.

I find Pure Oud to be very quiet, but long-lasting. Sometimes, to turn up the volume a bit, I re-spray during the day, twice, or even three times. This way, it builds up on the skin in layers of translucent ink - leather upon rubber upon gasoline, until it finally pushes off the skin in a sulky swirl of woodsmoke.

05/01/2020

Ovaissaleem
61 Reviews

Ovaissaleem

Pure Oud

Notes: Saffron, Copaiva Balsam, Oud, Amber, Cypriol, Guaiac Wood and Labdanum

Perfumer: Calice Becker

I love Oud and really enjoying Pure Oud by Kilian. Yes, the Oud here is on the synthetic side. This is a pretty linear scent, Smokey, a bit Spicy oudy woody fragrance.

01/08/2012

1Scent

Gerry
3 Reviews

Translated · Show original

Gerry

Top Review 24

Chemical Works Kilian

Gasoline, used oil, nitro thinner, burnt rubber, acetone, burnt wood … no, my nose can't take it anymore. That's enough!

Is this perfumer's art or the result of a chemical accident?

I recognize this scent mixture. Lolita's comment reminded me of it again.

I know this from the time when I worked in a steel mill - at a rolling mill for rail profiles. When "building" or repairing rolls, we were up to our elbows in a sludge of old oil, bearing grease, and tar pitch.

Afterward, we scrubbed our skin in the washroom with harsh hand cleaner and soap to get rid of the dirt and, above all, the smell. The work uniforms went into the washing machine for two cycles. After the first cycle, they looked clean but still smelled of oil and solvents.

Do I want to smell like I just had a grueling shift in the rolling mill? No, why would I.

Pure Oud is sold in the "Arabian Nights" line. I don't smell any Arabian nights here. I have to say, the theme misses the mark. "Steelworkers night shift" would have been more fitting.

05/19/2019

7Scent 6Longevity 7Sillage

Bakerscookie
6 Reviews

Translated · Show original

Bakerscookie

15

Much Smoke, Little Oud - the typical Western wannabe Oud scent.

I first encountered Pure Oud by Kilian at the beginning of my perfume journey. Oud has fascinated me from the start, as for many, everything began with Tom Ford Oud Wood, due to numerous appearances of the fragrance in interviews and YouTube blogs. I learned relatively early that TF-OW supposedly doesn't contain much Oud, which then sent me on a journey to explore the ingredient.

I quickly learned that Oud smells "somehow sharp-smoky." Therefore, when I first sniffed Pure Oud by Kilian, I would have probably given it a 10/10. Because it is smoky, with a slight medicinal sharpness. If the scent DNA were to develop over time, it could have performed very well even now, but unfortunately, the (quite beautiful) fragrance remains pretty much the same throughout its lifespan as it does right after the first spray. The positive aspect is that it doesn't smell sweet-spicy like "His Majesty The Oud" by Atkinsons, which reminded me more of a Christmas candle than real Oud. Nevertheless, the DNA here is somewhat dull and flat.

Which brings us to the point: I doubt that there is much Oud in here. And what is present does not come from an exquisite, resin-infused part, but rather probably from a lighter part of the tree. Under the "smoky" scent roof, I can hardly perceive the "main star." Sure, there is "something woody"... but "something" is no longer enough for me. Typically, Oud distillates are light, complex, and long-lasting. It's a shame that all of that is missing here.

Compared to other fragrances in this price range (e.g., the XerJoff Oud Stars collection or Tom Ford Oud Wood Intense), longevity and projection are rather mediocre. After two hours, I can no longer perceive anything, on the skin it lasts four to five. I should mention that many fragrances feel rather weak to me today that didn't a year ago (Tauer's L'Oudh would be another example). If the longevity were better, I would be a fan despite the linear scent progression. But unfortunately, that is no longer enough for me.

Therefore, Pure Oud by Kilian might be worthwhile for those who enjoy a smoky scent that showcases this typical medicinal Oud facet without containing much of the actual ingredient. And for those who want to get rid of the scent quickly. For the price I paid, I am satisfied. However, I would not pay full retail for it.

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